Dress form



Nov. 28, 1950 J; J MARTINI amass FORM Filed Nov. 27, 1948 IN V EN TOR. JszP/y J Mm? Tl/V/ Arm/mm Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRESS FORM Joseph J Martini, New Dorp", N'. Y.

Application November 27, 1948, SerialNo. 62,340

8 Claims; (Cl. 223-"68)' 1 This invention relates to dress forms, and in particular to the collapsible shoulder structure thereof.

In model forms over which dresses are fitted,

the shoulder portions of a form are wider than. the waist section of the form, and some provision must be made for drawing the fitted garment 7 over theshoulders-in placingit over or removing it from the form. To this end the shoulder sections arehinged and can be swung inwardly of the bodyofthe form to decrease the widthofthe latter in its upper end; and various means have been used. for holding saidsections inwardly that require release means to be manually op-- erated that are complicated; get out of workingorder, and are expensive to incorporate in a model form.

It isan object of the present invention to provide a latching mechanism that is simple to make; is fool-proof in operation; requires no auxiliary operating means; uses the samemotion to collapse the shoulderportions of the-form astorelease them to open position and one which is simpleof construction, provides a" novela1- ternately operating action and can be incorporated in the dress form at minimum expense.

With these andother objects in view, the invention comprises certain constructions hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims, and a preferred embodiment of my invention is" illustrated in the accompanying drawing,,in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a garment form broken away in part to disclosev the application of the invention to the ShOUIdGT'DOIF- tions' thereof;

Figure 2 is a front view of the mechanism used in collapsing and expanding the shoulder sections of the form, the device being shown in its spread or expanded position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism shown in its fully compressed or contracted position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the mechanism in its arrested position for holding the shoulder pieces of the form retracted;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the interfitting relation of the slides and the dog associated therewith; and

Figure 6 is a View of the mechanism in the secondary compressed position for releasing the dog so that the mechanism can assume the expanded position shown in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, HI indicates a standard dress form having a hollow body presenting an upper shoulder portion H in the openings [2 of which are hinged as at P3 the swingableshoulder pieces M. The latter are limited in their outward movement by retaining strips l5 secured at the ends beneath shoulder withdraw and project the shoulder pieces [-4 towhich said arms are pivoted. The armsl 'a-re normally andyieldably held in expanded position as shown in Figure 2 by a coil spring 23' whose arms 2 t engage anopening 25 in each arm I9 The extent of opening or expanded movement of the arms is controlled by a slide 2 3 having flanged upper and lower edges and a slide channel 21', one of whose turned edges 28 is interrupted as at 29 to form a drop opening for a dog 3!! disposed between the channel and the slide and pivoted tothelatter as at 3t.- The flanged lower edge of the slide is also cutout as at 40'.

The slide is pivoted as at 32' to one arm [9" and the channel member 2! ispivoted as at 33 to'the other arm, and the channel 21- has fix'ed' therein spaced dog stops 3 3 and 35. The dog 3fl is a short piece of metal shaped t'o-provide end notches 36 and 31 and parallel sides 38 and 39-.

' The dog is pivoted in register with the slide opening 40 so' that when the latter is aligned with the cut-out 29 of the channel member 21' the dog can swing about its pivot so that one end thereof falls into the aligned openings 29 and 4D.

In the fully open position of the shoulder pieces, the retract member as illustrated in Figure 2 is expanded or opened to its limit position under influence of the spring as defined by contact of the notched end 31 of the dog 30 with the stop pin 35. When the shoulder pieces are pushed inwardly by manual pressure at opposite sides of the form, the retractor takes the form shown in Figure 3, the slide and channel telescoping until the openings 29 and 40 thereof are in register so that the dog may swing down into the opening When the notched end 36 thereof engages the limit pin 34. The notches present tapering edges which constitute camming means so that as the upper edge of notch 36 reaches the pin 34, the latter will engage the upper edge of the notch to turn the dog to the position shown. Release of manual pressure on the shoulder pieces to allow the parts to assume the Figure 4 position will result in the notch 31 of the dog engaging the edge of the opening 29 to arrest further opening movement of the slide. The shoulder pieces are thus held in retracted position so that a garment can be placed over or removed from the form.

After the garment is in place, the shoulder portions are then pressed inwardly to position the retractor arms as shown in Figure 6 and so that the tilted dog 3i! will have its straight edge 39 engaged by the pin 34, which will cause the dog to swing to a position in and at substantially right angles to the length of the openings 29 and 40. When the pressure is released on the shoulder pieces, the slide and channel will have relative movement and the notch 37 of the dog, in retractile movement with the slide, will engage the pin 35 to arrest the opening movement of the retractor and hold the shoulder portions of the form in open or extended position as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

It is to be understood that the arms l9 can be so shaped at their upper ends that they can be directly pivoted to the brackets i8 instead of through the extension pieces 2| and that any suitable form of spring means may be used. to be also understood that the means for moving the slide and channel members need not be arms or means of the character shown since the essence of the invention resides in the slide and channel members, their associated parts and movement of said retract means, detent means mounted on one of said slide means for engagement with the other slide means and means associated with the other slide means for controlling the movement of said detent means and limiting the operation of said retract means.

2. In a dress form of the character set forth It iS 1 in claim 1 in which the retract means includes 7 in claim 1 in which the detent means includes a dog pivotally mounted on one of the slide means and a limit stop on the other slide means with which the dog engages to limit the relative movement of the slidable means in one direction.

5. In a dress form of the character set forth in claim 1 in which the detent means includes a dog mounted on one of the slide means and limit stops on the other slide means with Which the dog engages to limit the relative movement of the slidable means in opposite directions.

6. In a dress form of the character set forth in claim 1 in which said limiting means comprises a cut-out portion in one of the slidable means with which the detent means coacts.

7. In a dress form having inwardly movable members for reducing the width of the shoulder portion of the form, retract arms pivoted to said members and to each other for relative opening and closing movement, telescoping means associated with said arms and having openings for register at one stage of telescoping relation, a dog pivotally associated with one of said telescoping means for movement/into said openings and for engagement with the other of said means for holding said arms in a closed position and pin means for controlling the pivotal movement of said dog.

8. In a dress form of the character set forth in claim 7 in which the dog is shaped to provide end notches for the reception of said pin means and the edges of said notches constituting a cam means for pivotally adjusting the position of said 010%.

JOSEPH J. MARTINI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

